RCMP make 21 arrests linked to illegal gambling website

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Twenty-one people from the Ottawa area are facing a number of charges after an RCMP organized crime investigation into an illegal gambling website.

The results of “Project Amethyst” were released Friday, the conclusion of an investigation launched in Sept. 2010.

RCMP said they executed search warrants in Ottawa and Gatineau this July and September and have charged the following people in connection with producing marijuana, gaming, extortion, book-making and organized crime-related offences:

Benedetto Manasseri, age 49 of Ottawa

Stephen Parrish, age 45 of Ottawa

Gary Saikaley, age 49 of Ottawa

Eric Russel, age 54 of Thorne

Daniel Landreville, age 37 of Aylmer

William Hamel, age 47 years Gatineau

Christopher Oliver, age 27 of Ottawa

David Ross, age 46 of Ottawa

Kyle Michael Gourgon, age 28 of Ottawa

Patrick Moulton, age 31 of Ottawa

Ramzi Sayah, age 38 of Ottawa

Ajay BhandariI, age 32 of Ottawa

Robin Golby, age 37 of Ottawa

Daniel Ranieri, age 28 of Bolton, Ont.

Jules Alter, age 59 of Ottawa

Michael Delorme, age 27, currently incarcerated

Lucien St-Jean, age 64 of Plantagenet, Ont.

Simon Leclair, age 70 of Ottawa

Alain Normand, age 50 of Plantagenet, Ont.

Guylaine Duval, age 49 of Plantagenet, Ont.

Domenico Arecchi, age 47 of Ottawa

The group is facing a total of 54 charges, some related to millions of dollars exchanged with an illegal sports betting website.

All not previously incarcerated have been released, with Manasseri, Parrish and Saikaley needing to post bond.